Art Deco
Styles, Influences
& Reproductions


ART DECO - 1920 - 1940

Overview:

The source of the Art Deco movement actually predisposes the Paris Exhibition. Some artisans of the Vienna Secession
began changing basic style of movement in art as early as 1903. The style was born out of a need to graduate from the
serpentine and sensuous curves to the geometric and more abstract influence of many different styles from the Bolshevik
Revolution to Asian, Islamic, Indian and The Machine Age
.

Historical Influences/Inventions:

     Paris Exhibition of 1925 *  Vienna Secession of 1903
     Women's Suffrage Movement   *     The Automobile
     Discovery of King Tutankahaman's Tomb in Egypt
     Prohibition   *     Birth of the "Jazz" Age
     Plastic movement in almost every area of decorating w/celluloid and bakelite
     Trade agreement with Japan   *     Stock Market crash of 1929

Designs and Decorations:

     Cubism *     Geometric   *     Floral Abstract   *     Oriental   *     Aztec
     Egyptian   *     Islamic   *     Russian   *     Architectural   *     Fu Dogs   *     Disks
     "Fruit Salad" look in jewelry  *   Bobbed hair   *     Use of plastics   *   Flapper beads
     Screw back earrings   *     Chemise dress   *     No Corsets   *    Diamond Straightline (tennis) bracelet
     Bakelite bangle bracelets   *     Imitation pearls   *     Hats   *

Materials Used:

  Glass   *    Synthetic gemstones   *   ruby   *   sapphire   *    emerald   *    platinum
  white gold   *    diamonds   *    rock crystal   *    carnelian   *    Onyx   *   Chrysoprase
  marcasite   *    jade    *     ivory   *    lapis   *     coral   *    jet   *    bakelite   *    celluloid
  other plastics   *      Mother of Pearl   *     chrome   *     twisted metal chains   *     Peking glass beads
  Venetian beads   *    Ostrich feathers   *    silks   *    figure hugging materials   *      Chromium

Important Designers & Manufacturers:

     Vienna Secession designers Joseph Hoffman and Koloman Moser of The Wiener Werkstatte
     German Bauhaus (Art and Design Institute ) in 1919   *     Ballet Russes and Serge Diaghiley in Paris
     Oriental Costumes by Leon Bakst
     R. Lalique and Goerges Fouquet join movement with their designs turning the flowing movements into more
     restricted geometric designs.
     Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jeanne Lanvin and Schiaparelli add their own flair to the design world
     Silver Screen influence from America with styles worn by Greta Garbo and Mae West
     Czech designs keep in the forefront.
     American Designers like Trifari and Coro take the stage from the bigger designers and make jewelry affordable for  everyone
     Flapper look takes hold with the chemise dress, cloche hats and layers upon layers of faux pearls and long beaded  necklaces.
     Chanel makes a fashion statement in Paris and in America